UPDATE: Boskalis To Build Sand Berms To Protect Louisiana Coast

16th Jun 2010 10:53

(Adds detail, CEO comment.) By Maarten van Tartwijk Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES AMSTERDAM (Dow Jones)--Dutch dredging company Royal Boskalis Westminster NV (BOKA.AE) said Wednesday it will help to build sand berms to protect the Louisiana coast from the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Boskalis, the world's largest dredging company, said it has deployed a trailing suction hopper dredger as of Wednesday. The vessel, sailing under the U.S. flag, joins a fleet that will build sand barriers along the Louisiana coast to stop oil from flowing into the state's fragile and hard-to-clean marshes. The project was awarded by the State of Louisiana after U.S. President Barack Obama gave his approval for the program, Boskalis said. The deal won't result in a significant financial gain, it added. A team of U.S. government and independent scientists Tuesday increased their estimate of how much oil is flowing from BP PLC's (BP) damaged well in the Gulf of Mexico. It said that it now estimates that between 35,000 and 60,000 barrels a day are emanating from the well. The sand berms, which will be six feet high and around 75 kilometers long, will be positioned to the south of New Orleans, in line with the Chandeleur Islands and stretching from East Grand Terre island to Sandy Point. "Based on a rough estimate it will take 3 to 4 months to complete the project. But this estimate is surrounded with big uncertainties due to the difficult circumstances", Chief Executive Peter Berdowski told Dow Jones Newswires. Some environmental experts in the U.S. have voiced concerns about the plan, saying the sand berms won't keep all the oil away from the Louisiana coast and that they might disrupt the ecological system. "We'll closely monitor possible side effects during the project," Berdowski said. "I admit it's like choosing between two evils and [sand berms] aren't the panacea for the whole problem. But if the oil flows into the marshes it will be nearly impossible to remove it," he added. Boskalis has some experience in dealing with oil spills: in 2000 it helped cleaning up after the sinking of the oil tanker Erika off the French coast. -By Maarten van Tartwijk; Dow Jones Newswires; +31 20 571 5201; [email protected] (Susan Daker contributed to this article) (END) Dow Jones Newswires June 16, 2010 05:53 ET (09:53 GMT)